CELEBRATING TRAILBLAZING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS AT THE 10 TH ANNUAL SANTAM WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
AWARDS
Winners announced for the Santam Women of the Future Awards
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – Winners announced for the Santam Women of the Future Awards: The 10 th annual Santam Women of the Future
Awards, in association with FAIRLADY and TRUELOVE, took place on Friday,
11 October at an exclusive luncheon hosted at The Venue at the Houghton Hotel and
emceed by Khutso Theledi.
Guests included businesswomen and media personalities such as Johanna
Makgalemele; Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp; Judi Nwokedi; Sonia Booth; Margo Fargo;
Thuli Magubane, Nonkululeko Gobodo; fashion entrepreneur and writer, Craig
Jacobs and Turkish ambassador, Aysegul Kandas.
The awards recognised four exceptional women who have demonstrated innovation,
leadership and commitment to social change in their respective fields. Following an
extensive interview and judging process, the winners were selected by a
distinguished panel of judges, which comprised:
Professor Thuli Madonsela (Director of the Centre for Social Justice in the
Faculty of Law and a professor of law occupying the Law Trust Research
Chair in Social Justice at Stellenbosch University);
Nondumiso Mabece (Santam Head of Brand);
Dawn Nathan-Jones (entrepreneur and CEO of Over the Rainbow);
Dr Dulcy Rakumakoe (CEO of Quadcare);
Suzy Brokensha (FAIRLADY Editor-in-Chief); and
Mbali Soga (TRUELOVE Editor-in-Chief).
Santam’s many years of supporting women in business in South Africa have given
the company valuable insight into the potential pitfalls of the entrepreneurial journey.
Santam understands that the first 1 000 days of running a business are the hardest –
if you’re still in business by day 1 001, they believe you’re in it for the long haul!
These incredibly dynamic women have either surpassed that critical point or are well
on their way to doing so.
‘The Women of the Future Awards have capacitated women-owned businesses with
skills that build their enterprises,’ says Santam Chief Operating Officer Gugu Mtetwa.
‘We’re proud that in the 10 years of our sponsorship of the awards, 27 winners have
been crowned in the various categories. What’s also amazing is that 90% of these
businesses are still in operation, with many having gone on to receive more
accolades abroad. This says a lot about the resilience of women. Even more exciting
is the fact that some of these businesses have graduated to become our service
providers and suppliers.’
‘There’s a sense of optimism in our country that is exemplified by this year’s winners
of the Santam Women of the Future Awards,’ says FAIRLADY Editor-in-Chief Suzy
Brokensha. ‘Their resilience and innovation are testament to the boundless potential
of South African women and prove, yet again, that with determination and vision,
there are no limits to what we can achieve. Their success reminds all of us that the
future can be bright and full of possibility, if we just have the courage and belief to
seize the moment.’
‘Celebrating 10 years of the Women of the Future Awards gives us all the hope we
need, as they showcase women who are actively investing in the economic and
social welfare of our societies,’ says Mbali Soga, TRUELOVE Editor-in-Chief.
‘TRUELOVE has always advocated for women to take up space and create the
realities they envision. We’re excited to see yet another group of trailblazing women
receive the recognition they deserve.’
We are proud to announce the 2024 winners:
Santam Woman of the Future: Lilian Kistan of Tekwecomm
Lilian made the bold decision to buy struggling telecommunications company
Tekwecomm – and turned it into a success. The company provides a variety
of specialised services and products. Her vision has fuelled the company’s
growth and transformed it into a leading business known for customer
satisfaction and responsiveness. Winning the award is the ultimate
achievement for Lilian. ‘It’s a recognition of our ability to challenge ourselves
and be change agents in our field,’ she says.
*The Woman of the Future title is awarded to an entrepreneur whose business is
older than 1 000 days and who is well on her way to establishing an extensive
enterprise.
Santam Social Entrepreneur: Candice Potgieter of The Unlimited Child
Non-profit The Unlimited Child addresses early childhood development (ECD)
interventions, and is the largest ECD organisation in South Africa and the
fastest-growing in Africa. It aids more than 2 million children and 5 000 micro-
enterprises across South Africa, Lesotho, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Yemen. For
Candice, being awarded the Social Entrepreneur title shines a light on ECD.
‘This recognition means so much to me and my team,’ she says. ‘It validates
the work we’ve put in, and motivates us to keep going in our mission
to “unlimit” children’s dreams.’
*The Social Entrepreneur title is awarded to non-profits that have survived the first
1 000 days, and are making a real difference in their communities.
Santam Rising Star: Zanele Njapha of The UnLearners
The former teacher turned CEO started The UnLearners, which is dedicated
to guiding organisations in building a culture of learning, unlearning and
relearning, making the often daunting process of change simpler, less scary
and even enjoyable. For Zanele, winning the Rising Star award holds deep
significance. ‘It confirms that all those difficult days, when people told me to go back to teaching and I chose to stick by my business, were worth it,’ she
says.
*The Rising Star title is awarded to entrepreneurs aged 35 or younger whose
businesses have passed the six-month milestone and whose ventures, our judges
believe, will flourish beyond the critical first 1 000-day period.
Santam Readers’ Choice Award: Glynn Mashonga of Globescope
The founder and Chief Executive of Globescope is revolutionising the security
industry with her bold vision, relentless drive, commitment to making
communities safer and her ability to navigate the male-dominated security
sector. Glynn’s mantra? ‘Never give up – persistence is the key to achieving
your goals.’
*The Readers’ Choice Award is voted for by the public. Glynn wins a Golden Circle
Mentorship programme from Over the Rainbow worth more than R10 500.
The three winners received the following prizes:
R125 000 in cash to the Woman of the Future and R75 000 in cash each to
the Social Entrepreneur and Rising Star from Santam
A luxury beauty hamper worth R10 000 from our beauty partner, Lancôme
A full-page advertisement in FAIRLADY or TRUELOVE to promote the
business, social enterprise or NPO
Invaluable mentorship with one of the judges
An online masterclass worth R4 100 from the Gordon Institute of Business
Science
A hamper from the IV Bar, including a Jetfuel drip, worth R7 330
A women’s dress watch from Seiko worth R7 000
Business printing worth R5 000 from Lithotech
A STACKD spinner and Weekender cosmetic case worth a total of R6 498
from Samsonite
A spa voucher worth R5 000 from Camelot Spa
Lancôme, our official beauty partner, shares our commitment to empowering women
and recognises the importance of acknowledging their accomplishments.
For awards updates, follow #SantamWOTF on social media and the following
platforms:
Santam: www.facebook.com/SantamInsurance on Facebook; @SantamForBiz on X;
and @SantamInsurance on Instagram
FAIRLADY: www.facebook.com/fairladymag on Facebook; @FairladyMag on X; and
@Fairlady_Magazine on Instagram
TRUELOVE: www.facebook.com/TrueLoveMag on Facebook; @TrueLoveMag on X;
and @truelovemagazine on Instagram
Lancôme: https://www.facebook.com/LancomeSouthAfrica on Facebook;
@lancomeofficial on Instagram or follow #LancomeAfrica
Beauty partner
Contact details
For interviews and campaign-related queries, please contact Roxanne Kreutle at
Roxanne.Kreutle@media24.com or on WhatsApp at 084 852 1447.
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